Refrigerated case



I I 1,721,145 A. H. BROMANN 16, REFRIGERATED CASE Filed Jan'. 25, 192s [NVE/v TOR f y Broma/m @7m MM Patente'd July 16, 1929.

UNITED` STATES vPzcrmr OFFICE. y

ALBERT H. BROMANN, OF RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BROMANN BROS., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATED CASE.

Application filed January 23, 1928, Serial No. 248,612.

The invention relates generally to refrigerated cases and more particularly to a refrigerated case of the display type in which the cooling thereof isv effected by means of a series of refrigerating coils positionedwithy in the case.

It is generally well known, in refrigerated cases-of this character, that the cooling of the interior of the case is effected by the continuous circulation of air through the interior of the case past cooling coils mounted therein. Such circulation, especially where foodstuffs are stored in the case,

' results in the deposition and accumulation of the excess moisture in the case upon the coils which, on occasion, may melt or become dislodged and fall upon the goods in the case thereby damaging or spoiling them.

' Various arrangements of drip-pans or catch basins have, incertain instances, been provided, which are adapted to prevent the eX- cess water from falling upon the goods, but such devices have seriously interfered with the free circulation ofl air within the case,

' with consequent ineicient cooling thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved case of this character embodying a means forl catching and conducting away the drippings from the coils, which means permits the free circulation of air throughout the case and about the refrigerating' coils. p

Other objects and advantages wil-l bec-ome apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and in the accompanying drawings in which Y Figure 1 is a vertical section through a refrigerating case embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the cooling coils and the underlying means for catching the moisture.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one end of the catch pan.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the catch pan.

Although the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown 'and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment but it is to be understood that I do not vthereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

`While the improved construction embodying the objects of this invention may be incorporated in any type of refrigerating system which employs a plurality of coils for cooling, I have, for the purpose of illustration, shown the invention as being applied to a generallyl well known type of refrigerated case. As shown in the drawings the case comprises generally'front, rear and side walls 6, 7 and 8, a top wall 9 and a bottom 10 constructed of any suitable material. The case, in the present instance, is divided into upper and lower compartments 11 and 12 by means of a horizontal partition 13 which comprises preferably an upper layer 14 of some preferably glazed or hard surface material which may be easily kept clean, a lower or supporting wall 15 Vand an intermediate insulating layer 16 positioned therebetween.

In order to permity ready inspection of goods contained within the upper or display compartment the section 17 o-f the front wall above the partition 13 thereof slopes rearwardly at a suitable angle and, with the front portion 18 of the top of the case, is constructed of glass. The rear and remaining portion of the top wall of the case is, in this instance, of a thickness of suitably opaque material supported by means of an underlying strip 20 of wood or the like which is heat insulated, as by meansof acork strip 21 secured thereto. The rear wall of the display compartment preferably includes one or more suitable glass doors 22 through which access to the interior of the compartment is attained.` Y

Means by which the interior of the upper compartment is cooled comprises in this embodiment a plurality of coils of pipe 23 which are supported as by means of the brackets 24 in the upper portion of the case extending longitudinally thereof beneath the opaque and heat insulated section at the rear of the top wall of the case. The coils of pipe are connected as by means of the inlet and outlet conduits 25 and 26 with a suitable source of refrigerant which may, if desired, be located in the lower or storage compartment of the case or, as in this instance, to a refrigerating machine (not shown) located at some point remote from the case.

During '.the operation of the refrigerated case, a `refrigerant is forced through the cooling coils 23 and the air Within the upper compartment, .upon contact with the cold external surface of the coils, flows down- Wardly therefrom and produces-a constant flow of air Within the display compartment of the case.

\ In this type of case, particularly Where exposed food stuffs are stored and exhibited therein, certain quantities of moisture evaporate from the food stuHs and are carried by the air. into contact with the .cold surfaces of the pipe Where such 'moisture congeals. If the temperature of the coils fluctuates to any extent this congealed moisture Will melt and drip therefrom onto the food stuffs lying therebeneath. On other occasions certain particles of the congealed mois= ture may becomedislodged from thepipes to fall upon the food stus.

The present construction embodies the provision of means lin the form of. a drain rality of elongated `U-shaped troughs -30 'which engage similarly formed U'shaped notches 31 in the flanges 29j on one side lof theI end members andv are rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner as by Welding or soldering. #The number of U-shaped troughs in any particular pan is of course determined by the number of parallel lipe sections constituting the cooling coil, our of which are shown in this instance. The

. drip pan is adapted to be mounted inthe upper case in any suitable manner as 4by meansof the brackets 32 secured to the side walls 8 of the case and are so positioned that the end members of the the curved or bent portions o the coil at each end thereof with one 'of the U-shaped troughs underlying each one of the straight, longitudinally extending sections of the coil. Preferably the pan slopes slightly from oneend tothe other to insure that the Water caught therein willz drain into one of the end members which is provided with van aperture 33 leading to a drain pipe 34. In this instance the drain pipe discharges the water to a suitable receptacle 35 positioned within the storage compartment of the case.

It will be readily apparent that by this an underlie construction a drain means for catching andconveying aWay the moisturefalling from` the cooling coil lhas been provided` which, While being capable of perfectly performing its draining function, cannot to any noticeable or appreciable extent interfere with the free circulation of. air` throughout the compartment to be cooled. Al case constructed in this manner, therefore, permits a more rapid and more eective cooling'of the compartment.v Moreover,` the drain pan embodied in the combinationpis simple, can

be cheaply and economically manufactured,

and may be mounted in the casein suchr manner that it may be readily removed for cleaning purposes. Y

I claim as my invention: f

'1. A refrigerated show case comprising, in combination, a display and cooling compartment'having transparent walls, a cooling coil comprising a plurality of longitudinal pipe sections extending -approximately horizontally across the. upper portion of said compartment close to and alon the rear portion of the top Wall thereo sai-d coil being adapted to be connected to' a source of refrigerant, and an inclined drip pan mounted in saidcase underlying said coil,l

said pan comprising a pa'ir of end members adapted to be posltionedl beneath the end portions of said coil, and a plurality of narrow troughs connected to said end members and adapted to drain into one of said members, said troughs bein spaced laterally one from the other so t at each `of said troughs will underlie one of saidv pipe sections of said coil,.said pan being mounted in said case to cause drainage fromv one end ing across said compartmentben'eath said coll, said pan comprising end members positioned beneath the bends in said coil, a plurality of troughs connecting said end members adapted to be positioned directly beneath thev portions of the coil intermediate the bent portions thereof, said troughsv being spaced laterally one from the other to permit the freecirculation of air around said coil and between said troughs, and a drain y connected to said pan.

3. A refrigerated case having, in combina` tion, a compartment to be cooled, a cooling coilpositioned in 4said compartment, comprisin bent end portions connected by subvstantia y straight intermediate portions, and

a drain pan ,underlying `said coil, comprising end members adapted `to underlie the curved portions of the saidcoil, a plurality of trough members connecting said end members, each of which trough members is arranged to underlie one of the substantially straight portions of said coil to permit an unimpeded flow of air about the coils and between the troughs, and a drain communicating with said drain pan adapted to convey liquid therefrom to a remote point.

4. A refrigerated case having, in combination, a compartment to be cooled, a cooling coil positioned in said compartment, means removably supported in said compartment arranged to catch moisture falling therefrom, said means comprising a series of spaced troughs arranged to underlie the individual pipe sections of the coil, and means common to said troughs for receiving drainage therefrom and for securing said troughs together to permit removal thereof from said compartment as a unit. f

5. A refrigerated case comprising, in combination, a compartment to be cooled, a cooling coil mounted in said compartment, means arranged to catch moisture falling therefrom, said means comprising a series of narrow troughs spaced apart and adapted to underlie the spaced pipe sections of the coil, a drain pan into which said troughs may discharge, and means for removably supporting said moisture-catching means in said compartment.

6. A `drain pan for a refrigerated case comprising, in combination, a pair of substantially similarly formed end members, an unstanding marginal flange on each of said end members, a plurality of independent troughs secured to said end members to drain thereinto, and a drain leading from one of said end members.

7. A drip pan comprising, in combination, a plurality of elongated U-shaped troughs, a pair of end members each having an 11pstanding peripheral flange thereon, said flanges along one side of said end member having therein a plurality of spaced notches each adapted to receive the end of one of said troughs, means securing the end member to the troughs, one of said end members having an aperture therein, and a drain communicating with said aperture.

8. A drip pan comprising, in combination, a pair of flanged end members and a plurality of elongated troughs connecting said end members and spaced laterally from each other. 4

9. A refrigerated show case comprising, in combination, a combined display and cooling compartment having a solid insulated base or floor and transparent walls, a cooling coil comprising a plurality of longitudinal pipe sections extending approximately horizontally across the upper portion of said compartment close to and along the rear portion of thetop wall thereof, said coil being adapted to be connected to' a source of refrigerant, means for catching drippings from said pipe sections comprising a plurality of narrow troughs having common end members at opposite ends thereof in said compartment, each of said troughs extending longitudinally beneath one of said pipe sections with said end members underlying the respective ends of said coils, said troughs being spaced laterally one from the other to permit air which is adjacent to said coil and is cooled thereby to iow ina continuous circuit first downwardly between said troughs and along the rear of said compartment to the lower portion thereof, and thence upwardly along the front portion of said compartment to be again cooled by said coil, and means to receive and convey away drippings from said troughs.

10; A- removable drip pan for a refrigerated case comprising, in comb-ination, a plurality of spaced substantially parallel troughs, a drain pan connected thereto into which said troughs may discharge, and a conduit connected to`said pan for conveying liquid therefrom.

InY testimony whereof, I have hereunto aliixed my signature.

ALBERT H. BROMANN. 

